Your county’s annual report: Make the case for funding

Your county’s annual report can be a key tool for building a stronger resource base for educational efforts. You can structure it to make the case for funding from sources such as county commissioners, grants and donors by including the following details:

Purpose and benefit

Explain how MU Extension is relevant, reliable and responsive in your county.

The mission of MU Extension — to improve lives, communities and economies by producing relevant, reliable and responsive educational strategies that enhance access to the resources and research of the University of Missouri

The value and benefits of what MU Extension does — positive outcomes for program participants; the public value of extension’s work in the county, that is, how programming benefits even those who don’t directly participate

Programming highlights — who participated, what they learned, how they benefitted; how the programming benefitted the county and beyond (public value)

Credibility and distinctiveness

Stress the value of MU Extension information and programs.

Land-grant mission — to carry the benefits of university research to the people of Missouri

Research- and evidence-based programs and information

Unbiased education

Specialists are University of Missouri faculty with at least a master’s degree

Invite the reader to invest

Advise the reader on how easy and important supporting MU Extension is.

Awareness — giving is possible

How to give — established mechanisms for gifts and endowment contributions, in-kind donations, volunteering

How gifts are used — based on the council’s plan

Benefits to the donor of giving

Director of Donor Education Cynthia Crawford in cooperation with the Public Value Self-Directed Work Group, 2013.